Girls basketball: Legacy, Centaurus reach Boulder Valley Invite final

Mead, Erie will square off for fifth place after victories

LAFAYETTE -- With finishes too close for comfort this season, Caitlyn Smith said the Legacy girls basketball team has been hunting for a breakout game. For at least one half Thursday at Centaurus High School, the defending Class 5A state champions got one.

The Lightning blew past Brighton 60-30 behind a huge first half to earn a berth in the Boulder Valley Invitational championship. And while the final two periods of play left a little to be desired, Smith promises the victory was more than satisfying.

"It's just nice to get a good win under our belts," the forward said. "Hopefully we're going to take that into the next game and build a little confidence."

Smith played a big part in pushing the Lightning (3-1) into the title game against host Centaurus at 6 p.m. Saturday. The senior had one of her strongest offensive showings of the season, finishing with a game-high 17 points. But she did most of her damage to Brighton (1-3) in her team's electric opening period. Smith finished 4 of 6 from the field, helping her team to a 30-point first quarter.

"We knew we just had to get at this team right away, because they just don't quit," the Colorado Schools of Mines recruit said.

Even with their sights set at bagging the Bulldogs early, Smith was shocked with her team's efficiency at the front end of the game.

"It was just crazy, but really nice," she said.

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While Smith was indispensable, coach Craig Van Patten was impressed with the full team effort Legacy put on the court, with seven girls scoring buckets.

The Lightning were at full-strength for the first time this season. Jenna Fenton made a huge impact in her first appearance of the season. The guard went on a tear in the second, scoring eight of her 10 total points in the period.

"She made a big difference for us tonight," Van Patten said.

For all the Lightning did on the court, however, the coach believes it was something they did not do that made the difference.

Legacy's offense slowed to a creep in the second half, scoring 13 points in the final two periods. Part of it, Van Patten points out, was Legacy slowing the pace of play to work on executing its offense. But the Bulldogs also showed plenty of spunk on defense.

Nevertheless, enduring a rocky finish was important for the Lightning, the coach said. With his team still a work in progress, the Lightning defending its two previous BVI championships is important.

"I just don't think we have an identity yet," Van Patten said. "Getting to the championship, knowing we can still compete with the best in state will help a lot."

Centaurus extended its win streak to three games Thursday night, enduring a touch-and-go 32-27 victory over Standley Lake.

The Warriors knocked off the Gators by coming up with key plays on defense in the final 3 minutes of play in the Boulder Valley Invitational semifinals. But it was Lyndie Puckett that stole the show for the Warriors, draining four 3-pointers to finish the night with 14 points.

Centaurus faces Legacy at 6 p.m. Saturday in the championship game, the team it lost the BVI title to last season.

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